Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Budgeting for Homemade Holiday Gifts with Women & Co.

So it may seem hard to believe but the holidays are only two months away. It can be tough to think that far ahead but for budgeting purposes it is totally worth it. By putting a little effort into thinking and planning ahead you can ultimately save yourself a lot of time and money. For example, you can buy ingredients ahead of time in bulk while they are available, instead of paying full price for them at the last minute. You can also take advantage of early season sales on gift wrapping gear and stash them away instead of ordering them at hefty prices in mid-December when they are scarce. To help you out, here are some of the points I think about to help myself budget for homemade food gifts and ultimately save money and budget successfully for the holiday season:

Late October:

- Make a list of homemade food gifts I want to give and who I want to give them to.

- Decide on the recipes to use and multiply them to have quantities needed to cover all gifts.

November:

- Buy as many ingredients as possible that can be stored at home. Buy gift packaging. (Take advantage of early bird sales!)

- Assemble some of the make-ahead gifts like homemade vanilla extract and apricot jam.

- Decide on gift labeling and purchase.

December:

- Make and finish remaining gifts. Set a delivery date!

Disclaimer: A big thanks to Citi for sponsoring this campaign. Click here to see more of the discussion.

Some more interesting posts:

Halloween Fun: Candy Corn Tie-Dye Cake in a Jar

8 Fall Donut Recipes to Make at Home

7 Grown-Up Versions of Childhood Favorites

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